Muswell Hill men convicted over killing of David Bello-Monerville

One Muswell Hill man has been convicted of murder and another of manslaughter over the fatal stabbing of David Bello-Monerville.

The victim, 38 was killed during a violent fight at his East Barnet home in June 2019.

At the Old Bailey on Monday, Nathan Harewood, 29, of Pert Close, Muswell Hill was found guilty of murder.

Khalil Rehman, 27, of George Crescent, Muswell Hill and Francis Appiageyi, 28 and of no fixed address were convicted of manslaughter.

The trio were also found guilty of aggravated burglary and the unlawful wounding of David’s brother Taiye, and they will be sentenced on December 22.

At around 10.40pm on June 18, Harewood, Rehman and Appiageyi – who had waited for David and another brother Jonathan to leave their home in Welbeck Road, East Barnet – broke into the property and, armed with knives and a hammer ransacked it.

Jonathan and David returned to the property, and when they became aware what was happening.

But when the trio of intruders attempted to leave, the brothers, now joined by Taiye who lived nearby, attempted to stop them. The ensuing fight saw Harewood stab David five times in the back.

Despite the best efforts of the police and paramedics, he died at the scene.

Despite the efforts of the police and paramedics, he died at the scene.

He was the third member of his family to be murdered, with brother Joseph Burke-Monerville killed in a shooting in Hackney in 2013, and another brother Trevor Monerville stabbed to death in 1994.

Det Ch Insp Andy Partridge led the investigation. He said: “Harewood, Rehman and Appiageyi chose to arm themselves and attend David’s flat that evening with the intention of carrying out a robbery. They did not care what level of violence they used to achieve their aim and it was their actions that led to David’s death.

“David, with the support of family members, did what they could to stop the suspects fleeing, sadly David paid for his actions with his life.”

In a victim impact statement read in court, David’s Mother, Linda Burke-Monerville, said: “My son was a hard-working man. A wonderful human being and a wonderful son. His brothers and sisters looked up to him, and despite the other tragedies that have afflicted this family, David strived to be the best man that he could be.

“Our family has struggled to comprehend how we could lose David in such horrific circumstances and this has devastated all of us.

“I am truly broken. A mother should not bury her son and I am suffering in ways that words cannot describe.

“What these men did that night, whatever it was that they set out to do, has changed our world forever.”